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King stones are cheap to begin with, so they could well be authentic and just brought in as an off-sale or perhaps the market got them in combination with other items.
If you're doubting them, just get a real one at a reputable dealer. You really won't drop much money going the safe way anyways.
I'm really against fakes, so rather than potentially help a vendor push a knock-off, I'll go somewhere that I know it's authentic.
In my opinion, kings are a great way to go for your first Japanese Waterstone. They're affordable, reliable, and you can really learn a lot on them, such as how to vary a finish with different amounts of water/slurry and playing with your techniques, as they aren't super aggressive cutters.

King stones are cheap to begin with, so they could well be authentic and just brought in as an off-sale or perhaps the market got them in combination with other items.
If you're doubting them, just get a real one at a reputable dealer. You really won't drop much money going the safe way anyways.
I'm really against fakes, so rather than potentially help a vendor push a knock-off, I'll go somewhere that I know it's authentic.
In my opinion, kings are a great way to go for your first Japanese Waterstone. They're affordable, reliable, and you can really learn a lot on them, such as how to vary a finish with different amounts of water/slurry and playing with your techniques, as they aren't super aggressive cutters.

+1 on that. The grit sizes you choose would depend on how hard the steel on your knife is. I would take a 1k/6k King combo.

That K-80 is not the same as normal 1000 grit king stone. It does not get nearly as muddy. I bought it at SLT out of curiosity. I don't know about the other one. They sell King stone under the ice bear brand and woodcraft.

Originally Posted by Cnimativ

Saw these 2 King sharpening stones at my local market at very low price, in teens. But what are the difference between these and the one that's carried by the cutlery/woodwork stores?

King Home Whetstone. #1000 Grit. Model K-45

and King Combination Whetstone. #330/#800 Grit? Model K-80.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." --Albert Einstein